“People are complicated. There is so much more to everyone
than you realize.” Truth.
37.12 Code Name Verity
It took me three days to read the first 70 pages of this
book but only one day to read the last 260. The book is written from one point
of view and then the other, and really to understand the first you have to read
the second and I am not sold that that is a great strategy especially for a YA
book. Nonetheless, I liked it but I really thought I would love it.
Two young British women, a spy and a pilot, crash land in
France in October of 1943. Each of their stories is recorded as well as the
story of how each got to this point. They are strong and confident. Smart and
loyal. But this is war time, and war is ugly.
I liked both girls but the disjointed writing of the first
half of the book made me feel at arms length from them instead of pulling me in
to their story. I never felt emotionally involved with either of them. I think
the unraveling, yet connecting, of both stories in the second half is very well
done but maybe some of it needed to come sooner. I did like that the connections were left to the reader to
make, doled out a bit at a time, instead of being thrown at you like you aren’t
smart enough to figure things out.
It is a very well written and compelling story without being so overtly
harsh and devastating that it will probably be perfect for some younger readers
who are not as interested in historical fiction. I just hope they stick with
it.
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